Rotary multiple plow



Dec. 24, 1940. J. J. RlzNYK ROTARY MULTIPLE PLOW Filed June l5, 1939 W/TNESSES Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED srlrrlezsV PATENT' OFFICE l My'invention referswto a rotaryx multipleplow wherebya field maybe plowedJ andharrowed in one operation'and'the inventionl specifically refers-to ahorse-drawn'devicein which the tractive power of one or severalhorses is utilized for'its' operation;

My preferred deviceprovides a-pluralitylof-'cutters which are' attached to a rotary member by spring means that allow a substantial resilient 1U motionbetween the severalgcutters andhtherotaryrnemberso/ as to g-raduallytake` up asudden cutting resistance, which frequently is'set'upby stones, roots or other obstructions containedin the eld to be plowed.

151 The invention also-provides means whereby' an excessive obstructionr resistanceJ will bodily lift the lrotary member and theA cuttersl contained therein; so -thatthe cutters may clearY the encounteredfobs-tacle without stopping the operar tion. f I

Invmy invention', a' seriesl of cutters are arranged in a spiral' formation so that they-k cut through the earth one at atimeand'f-the-re'by I have succeeded in reducingthe powerrequired '25 for the operation of my device. so '-that onl-yfone horsefis required'to plowand cultivate astrip lrinches wide and Sinches deep. Y

Now therefore, as a hitherto unattainabie-desid'eratumY has been achieved by a new combination of old elements and a new and useful result flows therefrom, I do not only lay claim to the apparatus shown, lbut I also claim the several steps necessary as part of my invention.

Finally by means of a lever arrangement I provide for the setting of the rotary member so that a predetermined cutting depth of plowing may be substantially maintained and the plowing may be ma-de, say 4 inches deep for garden truck, 6 inches deep for corn and 8 inches deep for pok tatoes and so on.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side View of my preferred horsedrawn device and shows the detail-s of construction of the rotary multiple plow.

Figure 2 is a rear view of my device and shows the general gearing and lever arrangements.

vFigure 3 shows the detail of an individual cutter and its preferred attachment Ito a holding arm.

f In the drawing where like reference characters denote corresponding parts, l represents the rotary multiple plow which is drawn by a horse 2 and operated by a driver as indicated on the drawing.

In the illustrated horse-drawn mechanism a plurality of projecting cutters 20 areassembled in the rotary' member or drum. I5, which/is shownfgeared tol one ofthe two wheels I2 and I2', with whichvthe-rotaryplow is provided, so that thel drum Willrotate in thevsame directionv 5.. asf the vehicle wheels but' manyl times faster around a carrying; shaft I9. This shaftV forms the center portion of a bail shaped drum support, whichispivotedl in the hubs ofthe vehicle wheels by means-of stub shafts II), so that the 10 drum. rat` all' times during plowing proper ris suspended at ja predetermined height a'bove the ground and free-toE swing. bodily upwards. whenever an excessive plow resistance is encountered inthe ground by the cutters. 5

The double harness shaft 3v to the ends of which the--horseis hitched is provided with a driver-sseat 4' and seat supporti, whi-ch I prefer to provide withy severalholes 6.- adoptedfor the insertion of al stopper-pin 'I in support ofale- '2.0 ver 8-fwhich is secured' to the end: ofone.y of the forked castings I-I.

It is to be noted that the positioning of'the stopper pin 1"- determines the clearance between Ithebail supported drum I5 and the groundands25 therefore also the depth of the plowing. y

' For reasons ofy gear' clearance the ends ofthe harnessa-shaft 3, which are .attached to the;v plow are bent upwards in 1 between bearings:v 9;' with which the forked castings Il are provided as 30 shown in the drawing. l

It is to be noted that lthe bail shaped drum support gives rigidity to my entire plowing device as it is composed of the following rigidly connected parts, viz., the two forked castings 35 II, the stub shafts Illr round which the vehicle Wheels I2 and I2 turn and the drum shaft I9.

The bail shaped support rests in the wheel hubs and the weight of the drum gives suiiicient downward leverage for the cutters to cut into 40 and cut through the ground.

Should however a cutter meet an excessive resistance, the drum support will swing upwards sufficiently for the cutter to clear, whereupon the drum again presses the cutters into the earth to 45 the predetermined plowing depth.

The devi-ce disclosed shows only one operating wheel I2, which is provided with holding cleats 28, but it is vto 'be understood that the wheel I2 mayv also serve as an operating wheel, 50

in which case the rotary drum should be split in twol and each of the two drums should be separately geared to each of the operating wheels.

It is to be noted that this latter arrangement will not prevent the turning around of the ve- 55 hicle. The operating gearing of the drum is shown composed of a gear I3, which meshes with the small gear I4, and this latter gear is keyed to a shaft 29, which turns in the bearings with which one of the forked castings is provided. Gear I6 is also keyed to this shaft and this latter gear meshes with gear I1, which is firmly secured tothe hub I8 of drum I5.

In order to attain a substantial resilient motion between the several cutters 2D, and the drum I5, I prefer to provide the rim of the drum with a plurality of slots 23, which laterally steadies the holding arms 2|, and the cutters are attached by bolts 22, and allow the arms to be substantially presed backwards against compression springs 24, with which each of the several are provided.

To the rim of the drum I are eye lugs 25 attached and the rim is also provided with retaining holes 26 for compressor springs 24.

The operation is as follows: 4 A v The rotary plow is pulled forward by the horse and the traction wheel I2 turns together with the gear I3, which causes the drumy I5 to turn about siX times as fast as the traction wheel I2.

Now therefore, as there are six cutters attached to the drum each of the cutters will make a cut that conforms with the distance that the horse has pulled my plowing device, andtherefore each cutter cuts a continuous swath as the vehicle is being pulled forward, but only one cutter at a time cuts through the field 2l, as the cutters are spaced equally around the drums periphery.

It is to be noted that the cutters of the speedily rotating drum are spirally arranged in the drum and therefore they will cause the top soil partly to be pressed down into the ground and partly to be sliced and fall down into a furrow made by the adjoining cutter.

Should an unyielding obstruction be met during the plowing operation, the cutter resistance will rst cause the springs to compress whereupon the drum itself would be bodily lifted up and the shaft bail will swing upwards around its stub shafts and the vehicle will proceed with the cutters elevated until the obstruction is passed and the drum again would drop by its weight and the plowing continue.

cutter arms It is to be noted that although my device has been described as a horse-drawn vehicle, the device is also adapted for tractor pulling.

Now therefore, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the construction shown as it is evident that alterations and modifications may be made in the adaptation of my device for diierent purposes without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A rotary multiple plow comprising in combination a traction wheel, a bail shaped shaft hinged in wheel hubs, a drum rotating on the bail shaped shaft, a gear attached to the traction wheel, a gear attached to the drum, meshing gears for transmitting the rotary motion of the traction Wheel to the drum so that the traction wheel and the drum turn in the same direction, cutter carrying arms pivotally attached to therim of the drum, a series of guiding slots spirally arranged in the rim and spring means forcing the pivoted cutter arms forward against the ends of the slots, and means whereby the descent of the drum is stopped at a predetermined distance from the ground.

2. In a plowing device a rotary member, a plurality of resilient cutter means arranged in spiral formation in said member, a traction wheel, a gear attached to the traction wheel, a gear attached to the rotary member and meshing gears for transmitting the rotary motion v of the traction wheel to the rotary member so that the wheel and the rotaryk member turn in the same direction and at a high speed so that only one cutter at a time cuts through the unplowed earth and a broad plow swath is left in the wake of said member and the top soil is partly pressed down by the impact of the cutter and sliced, partly to fall into a previously cut furrow.

3. In a plowing device, a rotary member, a bail shaped and hinged support for said member, a plurality of cutters arranged in said member, means for rotating said member at high speed, means to limit the descent of the rotary member to-a certain height above the ground and means to kpermit the bodily elevation of the rotary member by the resistance of an unyielding obstacle.`

JOSEPH J. RIZNYK. 

